June 23, 2010

6-23-10 Wednesday, 6:55 am Grayrock, 76 degrees, clear, humid

The weather feels like typical August heat and humidity. The days are starting to get shorter, heading toward the winter solstice 6 months away in December. Today several of us head to Joplin to visit St. Paul UMC and their Wednesday evening meal. I have a meeting with the “Cry Out America” planning group at the AG headquarters, and staff meeting at 10.

II Kings 4:18 – 5:27

The prophet Elisha is involved in several miracles in this chapter. One involves the feeding of a large number of people, with some left over, just as the Lord had told him. Elisha prefigures the Christ in many ways, raising the dead, healing leprosy, feeding multitudes, confronting rulers. Naaman traveled to Elisha for a healing, and when told to wash 7 times in the Jordan River he was insulted. His officers convinced him to try it, and he was healed. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant asked Naaman for payment for the healing, and then Gehazi was cursed with leprosy, along with his descendants. It is so important to carefully obey God’s voice, and to avoid any personal gain. Paul in the new testament and the teachings of the old testament make it clear that those whose lives are dedicated to serving God should be supported by the tithes of the faith community. In this instance, Gehazi gets greedy, and suffers greatly for it.

Acts 15
Paul and Barnabas travel from Syrian Antioch to Jerusalem for the conference with the Apostles about circumcision. One group of Christians believed it was required for salvation, Paul did not. This chapter records the events of this conference, and the conclusion that circumcision is not required, but the simple instructions to gentile believers was “you must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”

Guide me today holy Lord as I “run with You” and serve you in the role of pastoral leader. Guide me steps, my thoughts, my actions. Use me as an agent of your grace, a representative of your Kingdom, an ambassador of your love.